Why did I buy this 20 year old radio?

[@HewesNews]

I've had an FT-60 for seven years. it was my first ham radio. I'm starting to move it towards scanner use as well. The best feature is how this radio handles channel banks. Totally elastic - one bank can have five channels, another can have 116 rail frequencies. Very efficient. In most radios the bank slots are fixed. If you have a bank with five channels, 95 slots are wasted. Normally you assign channels to banks. In this radio you assign banks to channels. It has wide receive coverage, decent scanning speed, and is built like a tank.

[@patriayvida4209]

I've subscribed to this channel because it's packed with information. I'm a HAM since the late 80s, as well as a Short Wave Listener and a scanner lover.. I bought my FT-60 in 2004 and it's still working... Awesome radio!!! I've used as a scanner numerous times when I'm outside... I love it!! Recently I added the Uniden SDS 100 to my Collection... I'm still learning about it and how to use it... So for now... I'll say 73s!! I'll be back for your next video!!!

[@RC944jim]

WOW what a great break from simulcast and DMR, thank you Phil!!! I bought a YAESU VX-5 for the same reason 😉

[@kenandbarbie-b6c]

20+ year old design, but what a great design the holds it’s own. I just got my tech license this year & struggled with a Wouxan, which had a lot of features, but I struggled as a beginner to learn. It didn’t seem intuitive to me. I later purchased the FT-60 with the RT systems software & was on the air in minutes. To this very day, this is one of the best selling Yaesu HTs & the oldest design that is still being sold.

[@davidh3566]

Love this radio (I own two of them) and the fact that you can run full power on it from a AA battery pack. There are Lithium battery options now too.

[@F16_viper_pilot]

A note about the side power input port. Not all FT-60 radios can be charged from the side port. My understanding is that radios prior to and maybe including 2013 (not 100% sure where the cutoff is) can be charged this way, while radios more recent than that must be charged using the docking station, with the side port used only to power the radio, such as from a car jack during mobile use. The design change was apparently in response to some weird California legislation regarding chargeable devices. As I own radios from both periods, I can confirm the documentation does reflect this difference between my radios.

[@Rad_Hack]

You mentioned at the beginning that you can name the memory banks. How do you do that? Anyone? I really want to know!!

[@lambdaprog]

The FT-60 is all about performance. It has an almost-military-grade front-end that newer radios can't match. A quick look on the schematic can help assess the true value of this jewel.

[@kb2ob]

I always bring the FT-60 to Air Shows. On strong local signals it delivers LOUD, booming, crystal clear, bassy, highly intelligible audio on AM Air/Milair in a noisy environment where other handheld scanners/radios the only option is headphones to hear anything above the noise. However weak AM signals suffer from lack of audio gain control and aren't audible. But it's remarkably better audio on local signals gives it a unique place in my AM Air/Milair radio arsenal.

[@Bootradr]

The frequency coverage, besides liking the radio and being a ham, is why I bought my FTM-400XDR. Hopefully this won't happen but if the transmit function ever goes out at least I'll have a sensitive analog and C4FM receiver that will cover 108 - 999 MHz. I didn't realize the FT-60 did. I had a friend that is a scanner/ham friend for years and he has said this is the best radio made in his opinion. It's funny that they still come with nicad batteries though. COMMSCAN

[@kenandbarbie-b6c]

NiMH batteries, not NiCad, which has been mostly banned for heavy metal pollution.

[@Bootradr]

@@kenandbarbie-b6c you were right and thanks for catching that mistake I made 👍

[@nine7295]

I never own an FT-60R, but i know some friends who do. I do own many other Yaesu models and other brands. I never knew ARES and RACES were Emergency Services. Emergency Services to me are Police, Fire and Paramedics. Thanks for telling us this. Very interesting.

[@WR3ND]

It isn't free, but RT Systems programming software is great. I get it for all my radios that it works on - 5 so far. The FT-60 is great, but if you can afford it, I'd go for the Yaesu VX-6R and MARS mod it (or have it modded at HRO), which turns it into a quad-band transmit radio, 6m, 2m, 1.25m, and 70cm. Cheers.

[@jasonposte8521]

Have 3of these little gems.

[@ezquimal]

I like ft60 because you can use AA batteries. You can store Energizer lithium in a case and use in the ft60 for emergency

[@BryanWicks]

The FT-60R was the third HT I acquired, and it is easily the one I use the most frequently. I also own the VX-6R, which is my reserve radio (kept in a Faraday bag) just in case.

[@MrKeys57]

Hi! can one use any ol tin can as a Faraday cage? (like a metal breadbox) or must it be a special construction? - (and yes, i know why...;) 73, Levi

[@BryanWicks]

@@MrKeys57 I’m sure a standard Faraday container would be fine.

[@MrKeys57]

Hi, and thanks for this! - i bought it to be used mainly as an Air scanner, but i find the reception quite odd??!! - i know that it doesent have 8,33khz step, but the reception is strange, to say the least! - wonder if there is any fault on the radio? - it only seems to pick up the planes, and not the "base stations" although i know they are transmitting in the Kw range, (here in Sweden anyways) SWEDEN CONTROL (air) is very strong on a UNIDEN scanner i tested -- but i cannot hear them on this radio?!?! - strange... is there perhaps some setting that is wrong in the radio? - all help would be appreciated! 73 Levi

[@bearbullcruising6427]

The FT 60 radio how would you compare it to the Baofeng radios for use in scanning

[@richardmendoza738]

Ft60 is much faster and has a much better speaker and receiver

[@BamaChad-W4CHD]

Ok just why did you buy it? Let's watch and see